Slotted entry ball and socket swivel bearing joints having a pair of opposite entry slots are known in the art. See, for example, French publication No. 2,676,260, which is incorporated herein by reference. Link arm assemblies of the type including a link arm having a longitudinal axis, and having slotted entry ball and socket joints arranged along the longitudinal axis, at opposite ends of the link arm, are also known. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,991, issued to Heumann et al. on Apr. 9, 1991, which is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,991 illustrates a slotted entry ball and socket swivel joint wherein only one slot is provided for entry of the ball into the socket.
Typically, the balls or inner race members employed in such slotted entry bearing joints have a different hardness than the sockets or outer race members in which they are supported. When under high load, the outer race member deforms or stretches, and pinches the ball, thus causing a high coefficient of friction, lockup, and premature failure. The amount of load in a slotted entry bearing assembly is based on material strength and on the load direction.